The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1887-07-30
ST. Landry. La, July 23d, 1887
Ep1roRs COURIER !:

EDITORS COURIER:
AS everybody throughout st. Landry looks
upon your paper as laboring for the Interests
of the people, please grant me space In your
columns to ask q few questions of the lnGelli-
gent taxpayers of st. Landry, and at the same
time call their attention to the very uncour-
te0us manner in which one of their sGEGr1ed
officials chooses to treat sometimes those whom
the laws of the State of Louisiana force occa-
sionally to have business transactions with
themselves.
The duties of Coroner, as you are well
aware, are plainly laid down in the Revised
Statutes of Lou isiana, and the costs and fees
allowed him for his services are also speciti-
cally mentioned. The present police jury of
st. Landry has tso have been informedl, and
without authority oplaW, SO far as can learn,
at one of it's sessions concluded to set aside
the statute laws of the State which govern the
charges of the Coroner and which specifically
and plainly state what the amounts to be
paid him for his services must be, and have
substituted in lieu thereof an agreement to
pay to him astipulated salary of nine hundred
dollars per annum. This of course Is matter
in which taxpayers, and taxpayers alone, are
interested. Whether the police jury have a
constitutional right to act in contravention
TO statute law must be left to the courts to
decide.
The cost and fee bill is most assuredly
placed at low margin and u penalty is placed
to collect more than is there mentioned as his
lawful dnes. The fees allowed him for his
services are: 6 For taking up and causing o
dead body TO be buried, fifteen dollars; for re-
ceiying dead body without burial five dol
| lars TOR swearing and qualifying a jury and
administering the oath on the equity, and re-
turning the process verbal, i've dollars for
summouiug and swearing witnesses, each, I21
cents Vide Sec. 26, costs and fees.
Under the caption Coroner Sec. l6, we
| read Tie e1penses of the inquest with the
coruner's fees shall be paid BY the parish, ncor-
| porated city or town within which the body
was found. when the coroner shall make out
| an account OF the expenses of the inquest and
certify under oath that the charges are no
more than are allowed BY law; and in case
i the charges in the altered account are more
| numerous than allowed By law, he shall be H.
/ able 10 the penalties Of perjury Sec. 20 tenn
i powers Justices of the peace TO act as coroner
! and perform his duties in case of the absence
/ of the coroner Now the question wish to
be informed upon is, arho is 10 pay said justices
of the peace for performing the duties of cor.
oner, when it is found that said coroner will
/ not or cannot attend Must he look to the
/ parish, Or Incorporated town H 30 the police
i iurv have acted unwisely in paying or agree
i ing to pay q stipulated salary, even II they
hsstl the constitutional or legal right fD, which
4 We DO not think they can show, as it IS u prin
I einle IN law we'll established, that sab0rdi
nate power has no right to set aside the ex
i press commands on authority of lis superior
4 or creator and IL is equally certain that ths
police jury is q creature aubserrient TO Stats
authority
II tie parish has to pay the justice of the
| peace for his services when acting or perform
/ ing the dulles of coroner, the people must pa
i an aaditi0nal tax for the serVieess which q
j course they have . right 30 object 20, and it /
an admitted fact thar onr taxes are onerons
enough at present.
They would he forced to pay nine hslndras
dollars for an officer, and also The full anoun
allowed hv Law IN ssloh cases as night aaappel
fwhinls III ra0t uafreauentl Cd ensns before tali
q snaaIsfrakes Most assnredlF 16 mill tax !
i ons.slgh fer oisI os rbnrdened farmers and e
II tDseTs ta pay
i II again, IL Is the sluty of Tie hired cor9ne
te nsg the justices 81 siIa peace. and not ID
It duky of the parrish, ought n nos Dc fexeea r